Improvement in corn-planters



WILLIAM' 4MCLUeAs, or REINERsvILLE, oHio'.

Lcttors Patent No. 92,861, elated J'u-ly 20, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-PLANTERS.

wt-M v The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM MeLUoAs, of Reinersville, in the count-y of Morgan, and State of Ohio,

have invented certain new and useful Improvementsliigure 3 is a horizontal view of the hopp-er and the v operating-mechanism by which the discharge of the grain is regulated.

My present improvement, in some of the features of its general outline, resembles the seed and cornplanters patented tome, respectively, on February 4 and July 14, 1868. i

The object of my present invention is a simple and practical method, whereby the driving-wheel, which operates the dropping-1nechanism lof the hopper, is rendered inoperative.

On a suitable standard, near the front of the machine, there is i'ulcrated a lever.

To the outer end of this lever there is secured an upright arm, to which is attached a caster-wheel.

FI also secure to this lever, and in the rear of the point at which it is tolerated, a rod, which communicates with another rod7 working on the platform.

This latter. rod is connected with clamping-jaws, so arranged that its movement opens and closes the same, fl. e., when the handle of the lever is elevatcd,`t11e jaws are drawn'tog'ether, and when lowered, they are forced open.

rlibe advantages of this arrangement' will readily suggest themselves.

The elevating of the handle of the lever not only causes the clamping-jaws to catch and iirmly hold in position the driving-wheel, but also the same movement of the lever forces down the upright arm,'to which the caster-wheel is secured. Thus, by asimultaneous movement of the lever, the driving-wheel is -elevated from the ground and firmly locked.

My invention also consists in securing on the frame a guide-post, which will always indicateto the driver the condition of the y2 operating mechanism. This post is arranged at such a position, that when one of the projecting pins or stumps on the drivingwheel is opposite. said post, the next of the series is in exact position to raise the lever that causes the instant dropping of the grain.

My invention also consists -in so secluing to the. hopper a spring, thatits tension is always employedA to force in position thelever that operates theslotted roller, which conveys the grain to the drop-tube, in.

combination' with the method employed of rendering the shovel that covcrs the grain adjustable, so that the .mount of vdirt deposited in the drill can be readily regulated.

' My linvention also consists in the manner in which the axle, on which work the rear roller-wheels, is hung.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation. A v

A is the platform, and rests on four side timbers,.a al 4and aal, two on each side, and all running parallel to each other.

These timbers are united at their rear end by the platform, and 'at their front end by the cross-timber a.

The side timbers oll al are also united by an additional cross-piece, a3.

. All that portion of the platform that is in front of the hoppers only, projects over theinner side timbers al a,.leaving.an opening between al and al, on each side of the machine, suiiiciently wide to allow of the free revolution of the driving-wheels, vSte.

lAll the portions of the machine now described are usually made entirely of Wood, and firmly secured together by mortise andJ tenon, screws, bolts, or in any other convenient manner. I

B B are the driving-wheels, and are provided with projecting pins or stumps b b.

These wheels are of the same style, and are constructed on the same principle as are the wheels described in my patents'before lreferred to. They may be made of wood or metal, and are rmly secured to lan axle, Bl, which Works in suitable'bearings in thc'A side timbers a a a* a.

On the outer face of the cross-timber ai, I secure a slotted bearing and guide-plate, c.

Through its opening works the upright arm O, to the lower end of' which is iirmly secured the casterwh'eel C.

In a mortise-opening or socket, in the upper section of the upright arm C, is iirmly secured one end of the lever D.

This lever D is iilcrated in suitable bearings on the post cl, and. has pivoted to it a; check-arm or short lever, D', by' means of which it can be rendered rm, and have a secure support. at any desired angle.

To this lever D there is also secured a rod, E, which, by means of an eye or loop,-is connected with a rod, E', which latter rod passing through a guldestapl'e, c2, secured on the platform A, passes or l1s wound around a fulerum-bolt or pin, e, also secured tothe platform.

By means of an eye, e, there is attached to the rod E', a short rod, e. Y

' These two rods. E e, are curved, and clasp the'dgiving-wheel B when the caster is lowered, on the well!k known principle of clamping-jaws, firmly holding said wheel until the handle of the lever D is lower=ed,'when, through the action ofthe rod, `and simultaneous with the elevation of the caster C', the jaws are opened, and carried to such a position as not to interfere with the freest movement of the'wheel B.

Immediately iu the rear of the driving-wheels B B are secured, to the side timbers, scraper-plates b b.

vThese plates are so arranged as to keepl the tires of the wheels always -free from dirt and other obstructions.

There is `also secured to one of the side timbers a, a guide-post orarm bz. f p

Thispost or arm is arranged at such arelative position with the projecting pins or stumps b b of the'wheel B, that when one of the same is opposite the post, the nextl of the series is exactly in position to elevate the lever, whose action controls the dischargesmechanism of the hopper'.

This post is most useful in this regard: The driver' has simply to see the position of the flange, in respect to the same, to instantly discover the condition of the hopper, and to ascertain whether, forthe purpose of turning from furrow to furrow, his machine is in condition to ll the rst hill of the new as has filled the last of the old.

In anopen frame-work, F, rests the hopper G.

'lhis frame-work rests on the side timbers ,ay a "a a.

The ends of the frame-work F are much longer than the sides, 'and extend in oppositeidirections, the rear one, f, extending up above gthes'ides, and forming the rear bearing or support for the hopper G, and the forward end, j", descending andpassing down through the openiugbetween a and a, furnishing the bearing to which the drill-shovelplow F is secured..

The hopper G is constructed 011 the same general principle as is the hopper' in m'y patent fof July4 14,

18,68, t. e., in its bottom there is a tube, Gl, having an openingrg, in its centre, through which passes the "grain tothe slotted or corrugated arm g, which is, through the action of the projecting pins or stumps b b, on the lever H, moved to and fro in the tubeY G, conveying, at its forward movement from the opening g1 to the drop-tube g2, the Vamount of grain required for eachvhill.

g3 is a check-pin, secured to the arm, and 4working through the opening g1, and which prevents the former from ever being conveyed beyond the desired position in either direction.

The hopper G may be provided with a cover or l rid, G2.

His a bell-crank lever, and is firlcrated on a staple, 71 or other suitable bearing, arranged on the front of the hopper.

caser Its. short arm is connected by a rod, h1, with the arm g, while -its long arm projects Aont alongside of the driving-wheel B, occupying such relative position thereto that it is continually operated upon by the projecting pins or stumps b b. f,

h2 is a spring, secured toV the front of the hopper G, its free end resting against the lever H, and bearing upon-the same in such manner, that the moment' the lever is, free iiom one of the projecting pins or stumps l, which has carried the opening in-the arm g from the opening in the supply-tube g1, where it was filled, to the drop-tube g2, where it was emptied, the spring will instantly force the lever down, and thus convey the arm g to such position, in relation to -the tribe, that its opening or corrugation will be again filled.

I is a covering-shovel or plow, and is supported in an adjustable upright, I', which is provided with a series of holes or openings, it', by means of which the shovel is elevated or lowered, and can be readily made to cover to a greater or less depth, as occasion may require.

This upright I has its bearing in the 'forward end ofv the curved metallic elbows K K, secured to the rear end of the timbers a a.

In the lower ends of these curved elbows K K are square sockets or openings la k, in which enters the square head of the axle, on which the roller-wheels K' K' are secured, and around which they revolve.

Having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The lever D, rods E E e, and frrlcrumbolt or pin c, when the sameare so combined and arranged as to' act as a clamping-brakefor the wheel B, substantially as described, as and'for the purpose specified.

2. The lever D, rods E E e, upright 0, and caster- -Wheel C,`when the same are so combined and arranged that simply by raising the lever the wheelB, by a simultaneous movement, shall be elevated and clamped', substantially as described. y p

3. 'lhcwheel B and guide-post b2, when the same are so combined and arranged as to operate substantially as described-as and for the purpose specitied.

4. The curved elbows K K, when the same are so arranged as to furnish bearings for 'the adjustable arm I and the axle to which the roller-wheels K K are attached, substantially as described, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WVILLIAM 'MGLUOAS .Witnesses L. P. Gutvnn, ROBERT ItowLAND. 

